Author: rakeeter

Joyce had just warmed up some leftovers for our Sunday evening dinner when she glanced out the kitchen window and saw several dogs running toward the shop. The gate was open from people coming and going. Cookie happened to be in the area and the two pit bill-types and one of similar size but different breed rousted him immediately. Continue reading “Close call” →

Ever since Dad built the lily pool at my request as a Mother’s Day present for my mom over 60 years ago, it has been largely neglected with only infrequent cleanings.  In the last few years I’ve tried to routinely clean it using a device designed to vacuum leaves and dirt out of it.  That helped but the water remained stubbornly turbid.  I tried adding barley extract, which is supposed to help with that problem and did some, but didn’t really accomplish making the pool attractive to my satisfaction.  Last summer I experimented with pumping maybe a third of the water out and then refilling with clean water.  That made a big difference but with the clearer water I was able to see all of the crud on the sides and bottom.  Continue reading “Spring cleaning” →

Our rain barrel was down to the dregs, or at least far enough that it could no longer keep the dripper dripping. The small showers of rain we’ve gotten so far this year weren’t enough to replenish the barrel. Finally we got enough out of the latest system to fill the barrel and the dripper is now dripping away. Our total was 1.11 inches. The weeds are so happy.

After running a couple of errands the other day, I stopped off at the music store to kill some time ogling  guitars.  I took a Yamaha classical off the wall, sat down on a stool and started tinkering with it, just to compare it to the classical I have.  A couple of fellows came in and the garrulous one stopped in front of and told me to play something.  I fumbled around a bit  till he wandered off.  His companion soon left, but he took a guitar down from the wall, pulled up a stool close to me and began to play.

It stopped blowing briefly Thursday afternoon.  The silence was deafening and I found it difficult to maintain my balance, having become accustomed to leaning into the wind.  Fortunately the wind returned the next day and I and the chickens were satisfied.